Sophie’s POV
Sophie’s POV
During the first few weeks of meeting with Dominic, there was tension between us.
We had never really spent this much time between us during our marriage up to this point.
I don’t think we knew how to be with each other.
By the time we had been meeting for seven weeks, we had begun to settle with each other’s company.
When I came in today for our usual meeting, he was at a table off to the side with food spread out and two plates.
He stood, and offered me a seat, which I had become familiar with.
I did not want to read too much into it, but it had become a habit of his since week three or four.
He had said the first time the table was set up that it made more sense to eat while discussing business so it didn’t interrupt his work flow.
I didn’t question it and just went along.
I didn’t want to admit it, out loud or to myself, that I had come to look forward to these lunch meetings.
I know I was just here to help him with whatever business he had with my father, but I had begun to enjoy his company.
And to be fair, he was definitely a vision worth looking at.
I made sure to appreciate him when he was too busy looking somewhere else.
I did not want to get caught admiring my fake husband.
He did not need that kind of power over me.
As he started to eat the lunch of finger foods, he asked the usual opening question. “Any word from your father?”
I had a mouth full, so I hummed, with my hand over my mouth.
He looked up at me and smiled. Damn him and his beautiful smile. Suddenly his smile turned into a smirk, making me frown.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to catch you with your mouth full.” The way he said it sounded suggestive, but I tried to shrug it off. And he didn’t sound as sorry as his words were made out to be.
I had men flirt with me before. When I had attended college, I was approached more often than I had expected to be, especially with how my father and sister used to talk down to me about my weight and figure.
I had a handful of sexual experiences while away at college, ones I never told my sister about since she would never have believed me.
The sex was not bad, but it wasn’t great either.
I had wanted to explore more, but apparently I had attracted the boring types. Just my luck really.
After chewing what was in my mouth, I said, “He hasn’t spoken to me since after the kidnapping.”
And that was quite the phone call. Four days after the kidnapping, my father had called to say, “You’re lucky he wasted his time to get you out. He probably only did since he had to rescue his Second. He should have just let them do whatever they wanted with you.”
Yeah, Papa, love you too. Asshole.
My sister tried calling afterwards. I didn’t bother answering, and probably should not have listened to the voicemail either, but apparently I was a glutton for punishment.
“Oh sister, sister, sister. Trying to pull off the fat, ugly damsel in distress for your hunky husband.” She laughed like a hyena and snorted.
“I’ll be sure to warm his bed enough that he’ll dump your ass and marry me.
” Then her voice went cold. “Like it should have been from the beginning, you fucking cunt, stealing whore.”
Well, it would take one to know one, right?
I saved the message and played it for Lorenzo and Aria.
Needless to say, Aria was ready to snatch my sister up and burn her at the stake.
From what she said, she made it sound like that’s literally what she wanted to do.
And somehow, I wouldn’t put it past her to do it.
Unhinged that one is. But I asked her not to.
As much as I hated my sister, and even my father, I did not want them dead.
If Karma was going to pay them a visit, I wanted them both to live through it.
Not that I believed they would ever get their due karma.
I never did tell Dominic what either of them said, but I suspected he knew it was not a “glad your well, daughter” kind of call.
Before I took another bite of food, I asked, “So what’s on the agenda today?
” Then I popped a stuffed mushroom into my mouth.
The funny thing about our lunches is that I began to notice some of my favorite foods ended up being included.
Like the stuffed mushrooms. Mrs. Fancelli made the best stuffed mushrooms ever.
I could eat them every day, and I had told her that.
She had laughed and said she would make them for me whenever I wanted.
Dominic grunted, then muttered through the food in his mouth, “Marco will be here in a while, joining our meeting.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh? Is he bored again or has something actually important come up?”
He shrugged, then muttered, “Like he has nothing better to do.”
I wasn’t sure what was the point of that comment, but I just focused back on my food. When we were close to finishing, there was a knock on his door.
Dominic called, “Come in.”
Marco opened the door and peeked in. A smile came across his face when he saw me, then looked at the table, and frowned.
“Why didn’t you invite me for lunch? Or is this some secret business date?”
I stiffened the moment he said the word date. My gut churned at the thought of a date with Dominic, but I tried to ignore it.
“We haven’t eaten yet so it made sense to eat now.” Dominic sounded slightly irritated, as I noticed Marco raise an eyebrow at him.
“Uh huh.”
I didn’t know what that response meant either, but I felt I was better off not knowing.
I smiled at Marco. “So what brings you here today? Got something juicy to share?”
Marco and I had begun to engage more and more since the kidnapping.
I really enjoyed his company. He was funny when he wasn’t being hardcore and serious.
I was glad to be able to see both sides of him.
And now that I knew he was Dominic’s Second in Command, I knew he would keep me safe.
Well, for as long as Dominic needed me for.
I would just have to take what I could get.
Marco walked in, smirking at Dominic, then turned to me as he dramatically flopped on the couch.
“Did you hear the latest news on Nico Cattaneo?”
I giggled. “You mean that he’s trying to persuade my father into an alliance through my sister? They would be a perfect match. Ugly with ugly.”
He had a glint in his eye. “Word is, even though your sister slept with him, she’s pushing back on it. Said she still plans to marry Dominic when he “dumps her ass.’” He used his fingers in air quotes.
I felt a punch to my gut, but forced a smile through it. “Well, she is a winner. Couldn’t go wrong with that hot mess.”
Dominic sneered, making me whip my head to him. He looked angry, staring at me with intensity.
“No way in hell will I ever end up with that whore.”
I wanted to laugh, but instead I faked a pout.
In a whiny voice I said, “But Dominic, she’s such a catch.
” Then I giggled, and Marco threw his head back and laughed.
He was laughing so hard, my giggles turned into its own fit of laughter.
By the time we started to settle down, my stomach hurt, and I had tears in my eyes.
I looked at Dominic. He looked both serious and slightly amused.
I cleared my throat and straightened in my seat.
Dominic responded first. “Serena and Nico would be a horrible match.”
I felt my body go rigid. Is he about to defend her?
“If those two got together, they would burn the world down in a completely different way than Aria and Maximo could. And no one would be left standing. Including the two of them.”
That was an interesting take on that pair up. We sat with that in silence for a few minutes.
“Any other good rumors going around?”
Marco narrowed his eyes on me. “What juicy tidbits have you heard, miss gossip collector?”
Well,” I drawled. “I did hear that Don Valentino’s middle daughter, Eliana, is trying to make a match with Nico.
Something about deserving better than her older, sister Carina.
” I rolled my eyes. The competition was extreme among Don Valentino’s three daughters.
“And the youngest, Serafina, is following in my lovely sister’s footsteps of just sleeping with any of the mafia men who will take her.
Apparently she thinks that will be her way in with a good familia. ”
The room grew quiet after I spoke. I looked between Dominic and Marco. Marco looked stunned, and Dominic had an amused smile on his face.
“What? What did I say?” I kept looking between them.
Marco said, “Wow. You really do hear things, don’t you?”
I smiled a half smile. “It pays to be the invisible one.” I heard a huff and turned to Dominic. He did not look happy.
I shrugged and rolled my eyes again. “Well, that and it doesn’t hurt knowing someone like Aria. To be fair, Lorenzo is a big gossip too.”
Dominic’s expression softened. “You really like Aria and Lorenzo, don’t you?”
I felt uneasy. Would he use that against me?
My voice dropped a bit. “Yes. They treat me more like family than my own ever had.” I looked down at my plate that was still in front of me and fiddled with a cracker that was half eaten.
His voice came out soft. “Good. You deserve to have good people in your corner.”
I looked up at him, surprised by his response. We stared at each other for a few moments before there was a throat clearing.
Marco popped in, “So who do you think Nico should trap into being his wife?”
And that broke our connection.